


A Little Triumph, A Little Death

by Measured_Words



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, BDSM, Biting, Competence Kink, Haxusminievent2017, Lovers to LOVErs iykwim, Loyalty Kink, M/M, Power Dynamics, emotions are hard, galra - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 11:05:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12629610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured_Words/pseuds/Measured_Words
Summary: A difficult mission causes Sendak to rethink his relationship with Haxus.





	A Little Triumph, A Little Death

A good lieutenant should be able to anticipate his commander's orders. Should be able to competently operate without supervision, and also be able to follow orders precisely and efficiently. They should act as a buffer between the commander and the rest of the world, filtering out non-essential communications and judging what situations and information were significant enough to merit a disruption into their commander's routine. Their role was to facilitate command – to increase the efficiency of the Galra war machine – and too much ambition interfered with the performance of their duty.

Sendak had not been a good lieutenant. He would not describe his personal drive as ambition – he wanted to serve the empire – but saw only failure in his own commander's needs, and had met them only grudgingly. He'd been lucky that, with Zarkon's personal attention and training, he'd quickly been given the chance to excel and to pay the empire its full due.

He was lucky, he realized, that Lieutenant Haxus was nothing like he had been.

Haxus knew exactly what he needed. He recognized the honour in serving one of Zarkon's top commanders. He helped Sendak excel. Together, they made the empire stronger than either of them could alone.

It was practically convention for commanders to sleep with their lieutenants. There was little company available other than sentries on the command ships, and the common assertion was that these kinds of relationships served both to salve the isolation of command and to reinforced the hierarchy of subordination. Sendak had thought himself above such things – his devotion to the empire was enough for him. But here Haxus had again surprised him. He knew that Sendak needed the release, the break from wielding authority that allowed him to resume his position with renewed energy and commitment. And Sendak had learned to feel safe in that surrender.

Sendak respected Haxus. He trusted him. These feelings made sense.

The words that came out of his mouth after he’d assessed the current crisis were sound, logical orders. "Take a party of sentries and retrieve the stolen data core."

"Yes commander." A bare hint of hesitation – but Sendak could see the plans forming already, to find the best way to approach this dangerous situation. These rebels were well armed and organized. If it weren't for the significance of the stolen data, Sendak would simply blast them from the face of the planet and be done with them. In fact, a certain amount of blasting was called for, which is why he was staying behind on the ship, and sending Haxus off on his own without any troop support.

It was a good plan. Haxus could do it. He would not fail, and he knew the consequences if he did. Sendak knew them, and knew he must accept them as well. Yet an unexpected feeling surged through him as he returned his lieutenant's salute, and he thought it coloured his "Vrepit sa." It was concern that he felt, but the root of the feeling ran deeper. He could take time to consider it later, when battle was less imminent. For the moment he pushed it aside, giving duty his full attention, as he knew Haxus would as well.

The mission did not go well. The rebels had unexpected reinforcements, and the fighting at the base was intense. Sendak's hand twitched closed as he viewed the scene through a drone’s camera, wishing he could take part in the fray and fight beside his lieutenant. He did what he could from his cruiser, eradicating the gun positions and the fall-back points, sending fighters to harry secondary targets to force the rebels to divide their attentions. He swore that as soon as Haxus returned, he would wipe them from the map.

He almost went ahead with it prematurely, when Haxus disappeared from view following a barrage of enemy fire on the ground. The concern gripped his chest, strangling his breath, until he realized that this was a ruse: that Haxus had slipped through the enemy lines in the confusion and found triumph, not death. The battle turned quickly after that – though the rebels fought harder, there were fewer of them, and Sendak's troops could abandon precision now that Haxus had recovered the chip.

Soon enough, Sendak stood over his lieutenant, returning a satisfied smile as Haxus presented him the recovered core. Again his feelings ran deeper than mere satisfaction: he recognized pride, and perhaps… relief? But the words did not seem strong enough. Lacking an alternate framework, Sendak returned Haxus's salute, commended him on his victory, and commanded him to notify high command.

The exchange lacked depth, and it was an absence that Sendak could not understand any more than the rest of it, but this time, he remained troubled.

The mood had not lifted when Haxus came to his quarters during their rest cycle. It had become their custom, after these tense missions. The premise had been that it was easier for Sendak to uncouple his prosthetic with assistance, and that Haxus was best suited to provide it. More often than not, it led to sex. He didn't know if he could find it in himself to surrender that control tonight.

Haxus had no reservations – the infrared sensors in Sendak's eye implant clearly displayed the heat of his arousal, though for now he kept his demeanour professional.

"Commander," he saluted, then hesitated. "Is everything alright?"

Sendak growled lightly, but turned aside to admit his lieutenant. It wasn't that he didn't want Haxus to stay, or even that he didn't want sex. But that desire was, perhaps, the crux of the matter.

"I have become too attached to you, lieutenant."

"Sir?" Haxus went still, his ears alert and as perked as they ever were. His features, Sendak noted, not for the first time, were so fine you could almost cut yourself on them. It was not an unappealing prospect. And yet…

"It's distracting."

Haxus rolled his shoulders and took a slow breath. It wasn't a natural release of tension, but it allowed him to appear less tense. Sendak knew him too well, though, and knew how carefully he was choosing his words and action. "Am I distracting you now, Commander?"

"I should not be indulging in …concern when we have a task to complete."

Haxus's brow creased briefly. "If my performance today was concerning in any way, I will do better. I will not have you doubt my commitment to the empire. Or to you. You inspire me to excellence, Commander."

"Do I." Haxus's performance today had been brilliant, in fact. There was nothing lacking in his skills. Perhaps he took a less direct approach than some might call for, but he played to his strengths and his results could not be doubted. He trained hard and had no more tolerance for weakness than any good Galra soldier should. That should make this easier. He should understand.

"Commander…" Haxus stepped closer, his brow furrowing once again. "Sendak. Do you trust me? Do you believe that I will give everything I have in service to the empire? That that I will not stop until I have succeeded, or I am dead?" He waited until Sendak nodded, then continued. "I too feel…concern, Sendak. Concern for you, left with nothing but sentries to guard you, or when you throw yourself wholly into battle. I do not let it stop me from doing what is necessary. It gives me strength. When I say that you inspire me – I try harder, to be faster, stronger, better, to keep you from what harm I can. Because you are good for the empire. We are good for the empire." He placed his hand against Sendak's armoured chest, his claws rapping sharply against the alloy. "It isn't weakness to care, commander. But it is weakness to doubt."

Sendak nodded slowly. He hadn't let his feelings affect his decisions. Had he fought better to facilitate Haxus's escape? Perhaps. And was it his feelings that unsettled him, in the end, or was it his uncertainty? He raised his hand, his thumb tracing along the ridge of Haxus's cheek. "Then I will cast aside weakness."

Haxus smiled against his hand, showing his fangs. "Then, commander – kneel, and let's get you out of that armour."

He knelt, falling by habit into the position of prostration as he might before the emperor: head bowed, fist clenched over his heart. Haxus's claws raked the fur around his crest and he let his eye close, switching off the voluntary feeds from his implant, and powering down his arm so that it would be safe to uncouple from the socket. By the time Haxus started to remove his chest and back plates, his doubts and worries had been fully cast aside. This was right, and good. Haxus could inspire him to improve his own service. Embracing his feelings would be a source of strength, like Haxus himself.

He kept still while Haxus stripped and stored both Sendak's armour and his own, shifting his weight when his arm was removed. It would have to stay where it was for now, as Haxus tangled his hand in his ruff to guide him towards the bed to finish disrobing them both. Sendak obeyed the orders he was given – precise direction on how to move and position himself to facilitate the objective.

"Sit," Haxus commanded once they were both naked, "on your knees." He waited for Sendak to comply, then settled himself into a similar position, facing him. They were both hard already, their cocks jutting out, aiming for each other. "Do you doubt, me, Sendak?"

Usually he did nothing without a command, but usually Haxus did not ask him questions, either. Sendak reached up and cupped his face. "No."

Haxus smiled in satisfaction, then bit down - slowly, deliberately – into the flesh between Sendak's thumb and forefinger. It was a pleasant pain, and Sendak found his eye narrowing, and hissed. Haxus withdrew his teeth, tongue flicking briefly over the punctures, wrapped his hands around Sendak's. He drew it down to his lap, massaging him teasingly with his claws, knowing Sendak wouldn't dare touch him again without direction. "Tell me. Commander."

Sendak growled, but Haxus pressed a claw into the wound in his hand. It was far from unendurable, but that was not the point. He used it to focus, to cut once again through his own uncertainties. "I do not doubt your abilities. It you were not one of the best, you would be dead. I do not doubt your loyalty to the empire or your sense of duty. You understand that there can be only triumph or death. I do not doubt your loyalty to me… you are an exemplary subordinate. Your work makes the triumphs come easier, and death less likely. I know… that this runs deeper than duty. I do not doubt that. I do not doubt you."

"Good." 

Sendak found his hand being drawn down to Haxus's straining cock, and wrapped his thick fingers around it greedily. Haxus shivered, grinned wickedly, and pushed him back onto the bed so that Sendak landed knees up, fist still full of dick, Haxus straddling him. It felt different this time. It was more than just the feel of sharp claws raking through the fur of his chest, slicked fingers pushing inside him to stretch him out. Every hitch of his lover's breath was something to seize on, to build on. He wanted Haxus to have everything he wanted. He would be everything Haxus wanted. It was fitting. It was the same for him, and knowing made all the difference.

Sendak arched his back and growled when Haxus finally entered him, bracing his one arm against the sheets. He was too tall for them to fuck face to face, so instead Haxus nipped at his collarbone, eyes narrowing in pleasure. He hooked an arm under Sendak's thigh, leveraging him just so, each stroke of his cock driving him wilder, pressing his body down so that the fine soft fur covering his abs slid along Sendak's cock as they fucked.

Each breath Haxus drew grew shallower, faster, as he came closer to his release, but he buried himself in Sendak without coming. Instead he slipped a hand between them, taking hold of Sendak's cock, sliding a hand expertly along his shaft, fingering the slick slit of his head.

"You're going to come for me, Sendak." His words were thick with controlled lust, and he ground his hips to add to the stimulation. "On my command. Are you ready?"

Sendak nodded, barely trusting his own voice, managing to roar his "Yes!"

Haxus didn't let him have it straight away – made him work for it, made him hold back, drove him wild until his cock was dripping all over his hand. He was working himself up too, thrusting again, building back up, holding himself back to draw things out. Another bite, this time deeper, harder, until he was growling himself. He buried himself again, slamming in hard and deep, taking firm hold of Sendak's dick before whispering, "now."

Sendak had been waiting – holding on, anticipating, craving that release, that permission to let go of everything and give up every last shred of self-control. It felt a lot like triumph and a little like death as his senses exploded, then faded. He could feel Haxus shudder against him as well, felt the hot flood of come in his ass, the tightening of claws against his skin.

He savoured the feeling of Haxus, limp and relaxed, lying close against him, face buried now in the fur of his chest, almost as much as he'd savoured his release. Sendak held him there, stroking his back, his ass, his leg. When Haxus finally pulled out with a gasp, Sendak pulled him up closer against him, and he fell into place against his side with a contented sigh. 

After a moment, Haxus raised his head, reached up a hand to rake Sendak's ruff, and smiled. There was satisfaction in it, but also undeniable fondness. "I never doubted you, commander."


End file.
